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April
2005 News Watch
1.
AACN BOARD OF DIRECTORS WELCOMES NEW MEMBER
AACN is pleased to welcome a new member to the Board
of Directors following the Spring Annual Meeting held last month.
Dr. Nancy DeBasio, dean from the Research College of Nursing in
Missouri, officially assumed her seat on the Board as an At-Large
Member following the business meeting on March 21, 2005. At the
same time, returning Board member Eileen Breslin, dean from the
University of Massachusetts-Amherst, assumed her new role on the
Executive Committee as Treasurer. Congratulations go to both of
these nurse leaders for their commitment and service to AACN. Reports
and presentations made at the Spring meeting are now available in
the Members' Only section of the AACN Web site at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/MembersOnly/05SpringMeetingInfo.asp.
2.
MEMBER INPUT NEEDED ON PROPOSED AACN POSITION STATEMENT
At the Spring Annual Meeting, the AACN Board
of Directors circulated a draft position statement on baccalaureate
nursing programs offered by community colleges. AACN invites faculty
and deans from member institutions to provide comments on the draft
position by July 1, 2005. The AACN Board will review these comments
at their meeting in late July, and then re-issue a draft statement
with any revisions by September 1. AACN members will vote on the
position statement at the Fall Semiannual Meeting in October. The
statement is posted in the Members' Only section on the Web at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/MembersOnly/DraftCCBSNsStatement.asp.
Please send comments and suggestions to Robert Rosseter, AACN director
of public affairs, at rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu.
3.
MONSTER.COM PARTNERS WITH AACN ON FACULTY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Also announced at the annual meeting, Monster.com
and TMP Worldwide, a leading advertising and communications firm,
are partnering with AACN to launch a major faculty development scholarship
program. The corporate sponsors will provide the scholarship funds,
and AACN will serve as the coordinating agency. Through this program,
students enrolled in Baccalaureate to Doctoral nursing programs
will be awarded $25,000 per year to enable them to study full-time.
More details about this scholarship initiative will be sent to AACN
members in the coming weeks.
4.
DR. HARRIET FELDMAN TESTIFIES BEFORE
CONGRESS ON NURSING EDUCATION
On April 21, Dr. Harriet Feldman, dean of the Lienhard
School of Nursing at Pace University in New York, presented testimony
before the U.S. Congress on the need for more federal funding to
address the nursing faculty shortage as recommended by AACN. Dr.
Feldman urged the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education to increase funding for
the existing Nurse Faculty Loan Program and to support the Nurse
Education, Expansion and Development (NEED) Act which was introduced
last year by Reps. Nita Lowey (D-NY-18) and Lois Capps (D-CA-23).
For more details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/2005/FeldmanTestimony.htm.
5.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS ISSUED FOR CCNE BOARD & NOMINATING COMMITTEE
The Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
is seeking nominations for candidates to run for election to the
CCNE Board of Commissioners and the CCNE Nominating Committee. Five
positions on CCNE’s 13-member Board are open and seeking representatives
from the following groups: deans, faculty, nurses in practice, consumers
from health care delivery systems, and the public. The Commission
is also seeking nominations for candidates to serve on its Nominating
Committee. Four one-year term positions are available. To obtain
a nominations packet and for complete details on the nominations
process, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/accreditation.
Nominations must be postmarked by April 29, 2005.
6.
AACN SEEKS NEW DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
AACN is currently seeking employment applications
for the position of Director of Strategic Initiatives. Applicants
must be doctorally-prepared nurses who enjoy working on a variety
of education initiatives, including grant writing, policy development,
and executive leadership programs. Previous experience in a faculty
or administrative role in a school of nursing is preferred. Salary
is competitive with excellent benefits. Send letter of interest,
curriculum vitae, and one writing sample to Deputy Executive Director,
AACN, One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 530, Washington, DC 20036.
7.
FREE FACULTY CAREER LINK ADS FOR NATIONAL NURSES WEEK
Don't miss your chance to post free faculty vacancy
announcements on the AACN Web site in May 2005. In honor of the
upcoming National Nurses Week (May 6-12), AACN will offer member
schools the opportunity to post free faculty vacancy announcements
on our Web-based Faculty Career Link. In addition to job postings,
this resource features information for nurses considering teaching
careers, including a nurse educator career profile, listings of
academic programs that prepare faculty, financial aid opportunities,
and links to faculty development programs. Those interested in placing
an ad must contact Ayesha Pathak, AACN’s communications coordinator
and Webmaster, at apathak@aacn.nche.edu
by Monday, April 25, 2005.
8.
AACN PARTICIPATES IN CULTURAL COMPETENCE WEBCAST FOR EDUCATORS
The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
and the Association of American Medical Colleges are hosting an
upcoming Webcast titled “Cultural Competence in Health Professions
Training: Considerations for Implementation” on May 12, 2005,
from 2-4pm EST. This program will inform health professions educators
about approaches for incorporating cultural competence into curricula.
The Webcast provides opportunities to engage in a discussion about
the underpinnings, benefits, and challenges of building a culturally
competent health-professions workforce; learn about two approaches
that schools are using to implement and assess cultural-competence
curricula; and access a variety of resources to enhance your institution’s
efforts to integrate cultural-competence training. AACN Executive
Director Polly Bednash will represent nursing on the panel. For
more details, see http://www.aacp.org/site/page.asp?VID=1&CID=1171&DID=6654&TrackID.
9.
NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE THROUGH HRSA
The Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA) is now accepting applications for a new grant program titled
"Grow Your Own Health Center (HC) Nurse." This program
was launched to help address the nursing shortage and recruitment
problems experienced by HCs, funded under Section 330 of the Public
Health Service Act, by training employees or volunteers as registered
nurses. Accredited Schools of Nursing (SON) with a formal agreement
with one or more HCs to train HC employees or volunteers are encouraged
to apply. Applications will be reviewed on the quality of the SON/HC
agreement, not just the SON part of the collaboration. In FY 2005,
HRSA anticipates awarding three grants of approximately $75,000
to three nursing schools. For more information including detailed
Program Guidance and an application, see http://www.hrsa.gov/grants/preview/guidanceprofessions/hrsa05132.htm.
Applications are due May 31, 2005.
10.
APPLY NOW FOR A 2005 GERIATRIC NURSING CURRICULUM AWARD
Applications will be accepted through May 6 for the
2005 Awards for Baccalaureate Education in Geriatric Nursing, an
initiative of The John A. Hartford Foundation Institute for Geriatric
Nursing in partnership with AACN. This awards program was created
to recognize model baccalaureate programs with a strong focus on
gerontological nursing. Awards are presented to nursing programs
that exhibit exceptional, substantive, and innovative baccalaureate
curriculum in this subject area. Besides the award for Infusing
Geriatrics into Nursing Curriculum, award categories also include
Geriatric Faculty Member, Stand Alone Geriatric Course, and Clinical
Settings in Geriatric Nursing. Reviewers will be looking for models
of excellence, which may be showcased to inspire other schools to
"gerontologize" their own programs. Programs may be large
or small, new or well established. See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Education/Hartford/pdf/BaccAwardApp05.pdf.
11.
COVER THE UNINSURED WEEK RETURNS MAY 1-8
Designed to raise awareness of a critical health
care issue, Cover the Uninsured Week 2005 will take place May 1-8,
2005. Activities such as health and enrollment fairs, seminars for
small businesses, campus events and interfaith activities will take
place in communities across the country to spotlight the fact that
45 million Americans are living without health coverage. AACN is
a proud supporter of this year’s effort and we encourage you
to get involved in your community. Cover the Uninsured Week organizers
will be on the ground in the following communities planning kick-off
events, health and enrollment fairs and other activities: Albuquerque,
Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Nashville, San Diego and Seattle.
Visit http://www.CoverTheUninsuredWeek.org
for complete details. Nursing faculty and students wishing to register
as event organizers can do so online at http://plan.covertheuninsuredweek.org.
This year’s national launch event will be held on April 27,
2005, at 10am, at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington,
DC. Those interested in attending should contact rrosseter@aacn.nche.edu.
12.
HOT ISSUES CONFERENCE ON MAY 1-3 FOCUSES ON FACULTY ROLE
Coming May 1-3, 2005 to the Renaissance Scottsdale
Resort in Arizona, the Hot Issues Conference will focus on "Advancing
the Faculty Role." Sessions will center on the many aspects
of the faculty role and offer insights on how to better understand
and respond to the various facets and demands. A special half-day
preconference on "Emphasizing the Teaching Role" is offered
especially for those who wish to enhance their teaching skills.
All faculty are invited to utilize this opportunity for professional
development in a beautiful, tranquil setting. For more details,
see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/05HotIssuesConference.htm.
The conference hotel is full, but we are referring those interested
to the Residence Inn (480-948-8666), a two-minute walk from the
Renaissance.
13.
TWO ELNEC COURSES OFFERED IN 2005
FOR NURSING FACULTY
The End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium
(ELNEC) is sponsoring two upcoming training programs for nursing
faculty looking to develop new expertise. On August 3-5, the third
ELNEC-Pediatric Palliative Care course will be held in Pasadena,
CA. On October 28-30, the first ELNEC-Core course for undergraduate
nursing faculty in three years will be held in Washington, DC. To
register online, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/ELNEC.
For questions, contact ELNEC Director Pam Malloy at pmalloy@aacn.nche.edu.
14.
FY 2006 APPROPRIATIONS UPDATE FOR NURSING EDUCATION
- AACN staff remains in constant contact with House
and Senate appropriations staffers as we continue to make the
case for nursing education and research funding, including Nursing
Workforce Development programs under Title VIII of the Public
Health Service Act. However, it is clear from our discussions
with congressional staff that it is unlikely that non-defense
and non-homeland security programs will receive increases in FY
2006. For further information on AACN’s FY 2006 appropriations
requests, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/FY06FactSheets.htm.
- The House is holding public witness hearings on
FY 2006 Appropriations over the next several weeks. AACN has submitted
written testimony to both the House and the Senate on behalf of
nursing education and research. You may view the testimony at
http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/testimony.htm.
- A “Dear Colleague” letter was circulated
in the House of Representatives urging support of Nursing Workforce
Development programs receiving $175 million in FY 2006, almost
$25 million more than current levels. The letter had 82 signatures
and was sent to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education on April 18. Find out
which Representatives signed the letter at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/Docs/05HouseDearColleague.DOC.
- A similar letter is now being circulated in the
Senate with an April 29, 2005 deadline. It also requests $175
million for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development programs.
See http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Government/Docs/FY06SenateDearColleague.doc.
- AACN appreciates your efforts to regularly contact
your Members of Congress. AACN staff will continue to update you
periodically on the appropriations process as well as send you
action alerts as necessary.
15.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS ISSUED FOR 2006 AACN BOARD ELECTIONS
AACN’s Nominating Committee has issued a Call
for Nominations for candidates to fill five Board seats and two
committee vacancies. Chaired by Dr. Timothy Gaspar from Winona State
University, the committee will choose the slate of candidates at
the 2005 Fall Semiannual Meeting based on nominations and the committee’s
deliberations. The positions under consideration are President-Elect,
Secretary, Board Member-at-Large (3 vacancies), and Nominating Committee
(2 vacancies). Nominations must be received by 5pm on October 22,
2005. For more information, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Membership/CallforNominations.htm.
16.
LYDIA’S UNIFORMS-AACN SCHOLARSHIP SEEKS NEW APPLICANTS
Lydia's Professional Uniforms, a leading supplier
of apparel for health professionals, is partnering with AACN to
offer a scholarship program for nurses enrolled in baccalaureate
programs. Through this partnership, Lydia's will provide $10,000
in competitive scholarship monies to eligible nursing students in
the 2005-2006 academic year. Titled the Excellence in Academics
Nursing Scholarship, this program provides scholarships to nursing
students in their junior year of an accredited BSN program. Two
scholarships in the amount of $2,500 will be distributed in the
Fall and Spring semesters with deadlines set for July 1 and November
1, respectively. To qualify, students must possess a GPA of 3.5
or better, complete the required application form, and submit a
250 word essay describing their career aspirations and financial
need. Scholarship applications may be downloaded from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/NewsReleases/2004/04LydiasScholarship.htm.
NEW
CAMPUSRN-AACN SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS ANNOUNCED
AACN is pleased to announce the two latest
recipients of funding through the CampusRN-AACN Scholarship Fund.
A future nurse practitioner, Maria Teresa Davis Erickson is currently
enrolled in an accelerated BSN program at the University of Colorado
Health Sciences Center. Kelly Holder is a student in the Doctor
of Nursing Practice program at the University of South Carolina
who someday hopes to teach at the university level. Winners received
$2,500 in scholarship monies through this program that supports
baccalaureate and graduate nursing students. For details about the
scholarship fund, see http://aacn.campusrn.com/scholarships/scholarship_rn.asp.
Read about the winners at http://aacn.campusrn.com/scholarships/scholarship_winner.asp.
18.
LEGISLATIVE DEVELOPMENTS IMPACTING NURSING EDUCATION
- AACN is supporting the Teacher and Nurse Support
Act of 2005 (H.R. 1522), sponsored by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, LPN,
(D-NY-4). This legislation would amend the Higher Education Act
of 1965 to expand loan forgiveness and loan cancellation programs
for teachers and nurses. With regard to nursing, H.R. 1522 would
authorize a maximum loan repayment of $17,500 over five years
for nurses that agree to work full-time in a clinical setting
or as a faculty member at an accredited school of nursing.
- AACN has joined with other health groups in supporting
The Higher Education and Affordability Act of 2005 (H.R. 1380)
sponsored by Rep. Phil English (R-PA-3). Among its many provisions,
this legislation would exclude from taxable income any funds used
for higher education expenses, including room and board, if the
monies were received by the student as part of a scholarship,
fellowship, or grant. H.R. 1380 also expands the HOPE Scholarship
Tax Credit program to cover fees, books, and supplies. Furthermore,
not only would the bill allow borrowers to deduct all of the interest
paid on their student loans, but it would also increase the income
eligibility for those who wish to claim the student loan interest
deduction on their federal income taxes.
19.
SUMMER SEMINAR COMING TO VANCOUVER, BC IN JULY
Join colleagues at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver July
24-27, 2005 to discuss the benefits and logistics of interprofessional
education and research initiatives. Under the theme "Interprofessional
Education and Research: Considerations for Nursing Education",
participants will explore several programs characterized by noteworthy
models, beneficial collaborations, and a history of success. Topics
are applicable to any nursing school with the potential to share
resources and partner with another health care or other discipline
in educational and/or research programs. The conference is for deans,
directors, chairs, other academic leaders, and faculty interested
in the topics. Participants will be encouraged to share perspectives,
ideas, concerns, and successful strategies. Brochures will be mailed
shortly. For complete information, visit the AACN Web site at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/conferences/05SummerSeminar.htm.
Call for Abstracts: AACN
is soliciting abstracts that exemplify noteworthy initiatives in
interprofessional education or research. On July 27, selected abstract
presenters will speak during the session "Implementing Interprofessional
Education and Research". Each will have 25 minutes to present
and 5 minutes of discussion. In addition to the brief presentation,
those selected will form a panel for discussion with participants,
addressing practical aspects of implementing collaborative programs.
The deadline to receive abstracts is May 16, 2005. For complete
details, see http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Conferences/pdf/SSCFA.pdf.
20.
AHRQ CREATES NEW WEB RESOURCE FOCUSED ON PATIENT SAFETY
The Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ) has created an online Patient Safety Network
(PSNet) to serve as a national "one-stop" portal of resources
for improving patient safety and preventing medical errors. PSNet,
found on the Web at http://psnet.ahrq.gov,
is the first comprehensive effort to help health care providers,
administrators, and consumers learn about all aspects of patient
safety. The site provides a wide variety of information on patient
safety resources, tools, conferences, and more. For more details,
see http://www.ahrq.gov/news/press/pr2005/psnetpr.htm.
21. NEW PARTNERSHIPS
AND GRANT-FUNDED INITIATIVES
In this section, AACN spotlights new partnerships
and initiatives launched by members, corporate citizens, philanthropies,
and government sponsors that effectively increase student capacity,
add new nursing faculty, increase student diversity, address the
nursing shortage, and enhance the way education is delivered.
- On March 30, Intermountain Health Care (IHC) announced
that it will make donations in the amount of $4.4 million to nursing
schools at eight Utah universities and colleges to help train
more than 600 additional registered nurses. The funds will be
used to support several AACN member schools, including Brigham
Young University, Weber State University and Westminster College.
For more details, see http://www.ihc.com/xp/ihc/aboutihc/news.
- On April 6, the Global Scholarship Alliance
(GSA) announced the arrival of 28 foreign nurse-scholars as part
of the company’s innovative cultural exchange program. The
four and a half year program combines intense academic study at
two American universities with part-time clinical experience in
partner hospitals. The 28 nurse-scholars from the Philippines
will pursue Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees at Xavier
University in Cincinnati and Long Island University in Brooklyn,
NY. GSA’s mission is to help ease the global nursing crisis
by developing the next generation of nurse leaders and educators.
See http://www.globalscholarship.net.
22. MEMBER NEWS, ANNOUNCEMENTS,
AND AWARDS
- Dr. Eileen Zungolo, dean and professor at the
Duquesne University School of Nursing, was named the 14th winner
of the NSNA/Elseveir Leader of the Leaders Award at the National
Student Nurses Association (NSNA) convention held earlier this
month. This award recognizes an outstanding nurse educator who
has shown distinguished support and service to nursing students.
For more details, see http://www.nsna.org/press/pdf/2005LeaderofLeadersAward.pdf.
- Holy Names University in California has created
a new Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program focused on the
preparation of clinical faculty to help alleviate the state’s
critical nursing shortage. The university is collaborating with
seven San Francisco Bay Area hospitals to reduce the nursing faculty
shortage and increase RN education capacity by 2006. Dr. Fay L.
Bower, chair and professor of the Department of Nursing, announced
that this new initiative was made possible through a $1.49 million
grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. For more details,
see http://www.hnu.edu/academics/hnc_smc.html.
23. AACN OUTREACH AND ADVOCACY
UPDATE
- AACN Government Affairs staff met with 8 nursing
students from the University of Maryland on March 24; 24 students
from Carlow College on April 11; and 54 students from Bloomsburg
University on April 20 at AACN headquarters. Students learned
about the appropriations process and how the federal government
funds nursing education and research. Also, representatives from
AHRQ spoke to the students about evidence-based practice research
opportunities at this agency. If you would like to bring your
students to Washington to learn more about public health policy,
contact Gene Throwe at 202-463-6930, ext. 237 or gthrowe@aacn.nche.edu.
- On April 18, AACN Executive Director Polly Bednash,
acting as the representative from nursing, attended a meeting
of the Sullivan Commission on Diversity in the Healthcare Professions.
The commission discussed how to implement the recommendations
outlined in the report “Missing Persons: Minorities in the
Health Professions” which may be accessed online at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/Media/pdf/SullivanReport.pdf.
- AACN Government Affairs staff attended a meeting
of the National Advisory Council for Healthcare Research and Quality
(NACHRQ) on April 15, 2005. Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Director of AHRQ,
discussed the effort at her agency to use evidence-based research,
data collection, and analysis to promote quality. Dr. Mark McClellan,
administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS), discussed collaborations between AHRQ and CMS such as the
new “Pay for Performance” initiative that focuses on
chronic care and preventative services to promote quality and
cost savings. For more information on AHRQ, visit http://www.ahrq.gov.
- AACN Government Affairs staff attended the National
Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice Meeting (NACNEP)
on April 7-8, 2005. Among the issues discussed was the challenge
faced by the federal Division of Nursing in devising an appropriate
methodology for the determination of facilities and agencies with
a critical shortage of RNs. The incidence of violence in the nursing
workplace was also examined as well as the impact of violence
on nursing education and practice. For more information on NACNEP,
see http://www.bhpr.hrsa.gov/nursing/nacnep/default.htm.
- On April 7-9, AACN participated in the annual
convention of the National Student Nurses Association (NSNA) as
both a presenter and exhibitor. In addition to sponsoring the
new NSNA mentorship video that debuted at the convention, AACN
assembled a panel presentation titled “Graduate Nursing Programs:
Exploring Your Options” that was attended by over 650 students;
hosted a graduate program recruitment fair which attracted 25
schools and more than 200 students; and sponsored a booth in the
exhibit hall. For more details on the NSNA, see http://www.nsna.org.
24. OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES
TO CONSIDER
- Danya International is a health communications
and technology company responsible for managing the Head Start
Monitoring Support contract. Head Start programs are federally
funded early childhood education programs that also provide health
and other social services for children and families enrolled in
the program. These programs around the country are required to
be reviewed every 3 years to ensure that they are following the
national Head Start Standards. Danya is responsible for recruiting
qualified consultants who can participate in these monitoring
reviews. If you are interested in becoming a Head Start reviewer,
visit http://www.headstartreviews.com
or see http://www.hsdanya.com/rev/rev_recruit_2-18-04.doc.
- The third annual Translating Research Into Practice
(TRIP) conference will be held on July 18-20, 2005 in Washington,
DC. This year's conference will highlight two areas: obesity and
health disparities reduction. In addition, the conference will
continue to provide an opportunity to share innovative TRIP research
and implementation methods, case studies, and other experiences.
Conference information is available online at http://www.epc3.net/TRIP05/Conference/indexconference.html.
- The National Council of State Boards of Nursing
is hosting the 2005 NCLEX Invitational on September 19 at the
Hilton New Orleans Riverside in New Orleans, LA. Since 1999, the
NCSBN Testing Services department has hosted this annual conference
to update attendees on the core foundations of the NCLEX®
examinations and how they all play a key role in the development
and administration of the nurse licensure examination. For more
details including how to register, see http://www.ncsbn.org.
- Local Initiative Funding Partners (LIFP)
is a partnership program between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
(RWJF) and local grantmakers that supports innovative community-based
projects to improve health and health care for vulnerable populations.
LIFP provides grants of $100,000 to $500,000 per project, which
must be matched dollar for dollar by local grantmakers such as
community foundations, family foundations, corporate grantmakers
and others. Through LIFP, a local grantmaker proposes a funding
partnership with RWJF to support a community-based project that
addresses the health or health care problems of people who are
not reached by traditional health and social services. Application
deadline is June 30, 2005 for awards that begin on July 1, 2006.
See the Call for Proposals posted at http://www.lifp.org.
If you would like to subscribe to receive News Watch each month,
please e-mail apathak@aacn.nche.edu.
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